Habitat
Habitat
Desert bighorn prefer a habitat of steep, rocky terrain for escape from predators, bedding, and lambing. Bighorn zigzag up and down cliff faces with amazing ease. They use ledges only two inches wide for foot holds, and bounce from ledge to ledge over spans as wide as 20 feet. They can move over level ground at 30 miles per hour and scramble up mountain slopes at 15 mph. They are aided by cloven hooves which are sharp-edged, elastic, and concave.
Food
Graze and browze of a wide variety of plant species serve as food. Green grasses are preferred, but when this food is not available, as is the case for most of the year in the Chihuahuan Desert, they feed on a variety of other plants, including cacti. Bighorns have a complex nine-stage digestive process that allows them to maximize removal of nutrients from their food. Coming soon...pictures & information on species of desert plants!
